The Acqualina Resort and Spa is a slice of Mediterranean charm and haute living in Miami Beach.

There’s plenty to love, from gourmet restaurants to an award-winning spa, but before all that, it gets the basics right. Unlike many hotels on Miami beach, which require a hop and skip across hot sand to get to the sea, the Acqualina Resort and Spa earns its beachfront title by practically merging with the water. Only a thin strip of sand speckled with lounges, bright red beach umbrellas and water toting butlers separate you from the cool waters of the Atlantic. Then, there’s the pools, three of them, all with poolside restaurants and cabanas to retreat to for extra privacy. The spa is nothing less than the first ESPA in North America. Treatments run the gamut, from exotic massages using Himalayan salt stones to blissful three-hour-long massage experiences. As for the cuisine, three restaurants vie for your attention, but the undeniable ace in the hole, is Michele Mazza’s Il Mulino, (yes, the same as in New York ) and the classic Italian dishes it churns out are as exceptional as you expect them to be….